In Temptations Path
by SecretlyWishingToCompelYou
Summary: When Elena moves to the quaint town of Mystic Falls, she makes the acquaintance of no other but Damon Salvatore. He's assertive and domineering and turns her on with one glance, but he's also a badass with a reputation that precedes him. They despise each other, but are forced to make peace when their parents begin dating. How do you resist someone so tempting, you ask? You don't.
1. Preface

**In Temptations path:**

**Disclaimer- The following is a work of fiction that I obviously do not own. I just borrowed the characters for recreational purposes to sate my Delena needs.**

**Full Summary- Two years after her father's death, Elena moves to the quaint town of Mystic Falls where she makes the acquaintance of no other but Damon Salvatore. He's assertive and domineering and turns her on with one glance, but he's also a badass with a reputation that precedes him. They despise each other, but are forced to make peace when their parents begin dating, ensuring that they are stuck with one another for countless hours at a time. She tries to fight her attraction to him, but as their parent's relationship progresses and she finds herself spending more and more time with Damon, she discovers that it's a fight that she'll never truly win, especially since he's seducing her at every turn… How do you resist someone so intensely tempting? You don't. **

**Rating: M**

**A/N- This is only an incite to what the content of this story is about, so don't judge too hard. Constructive criticism is accepted, but please don't flame. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Preface:**

I strolled down the stairs with an innocent, dimpled grin on my lips. My white, flowing, sundress trailed behind me as I ambled down the stairs.

I ignored the feeling of butterflies in my stomach as I spotted Damon demolishing his piece of his toast with my mother and Giuseppe perched at the table, him leaning against the cabinets. He looked as delectable as ever; his sheer black hair in its usual sexy do and his signature black jeans and taught black t-shirt showcasing his rippling abs. His leather jacket was flung over the back of one of the kitchen chairs.

I grinned easily at my mother and leaned over her to grab a slice of toast, taking a tentative bite before I spoke sweetly, "Mum?"

She hummed in response as she sunk her teeth into some toast, her doe eyes bright and warm.

"I was just wondering," I continued, looping a strand of hair around my finger absentmindedly, "if I could go on a date with Stefan tonight? I know I don't need your permission or anything, but what with you and Giuseppe going out for dinner tonight, I gathered it would be in my best interest to ask, just in case, you know, Damon can't cope without me and all…" I trailed off, my grin widening when I heard Damon coughing and spluttering from behind me.

_Paybacks a bitch,_ I thought mischievously.

"Will you be alright on your own, Damon?" My mum turned in her seat towards Damon, a worried crease etched into her forehead.

"Uh…" He stuttered, never straining his eyes from me. He looked livid in that moment, as if he wanted to devour me or singe me to ashes. I could see it in the icy glare of his blue eyes that he wanted desperately to object, to say that he didn't want me to go out and abandon him. "That's fine." He lied, his voice hoarse. He cleared his throat, but his eyes did not waver from me, they glared at me in my proverbial vision.

I smiled and ran towards him, leaning up on my tippy-toes to wrap my arms around his neck. He stiffened under my touch.

"Thank you!" I exploded, disentangling myself from him to plant a sloppy kiss on my mother's cheek. "I won't stay out too late, I promise."

As I turned around and headed towards the stairs, I felt his hand snake around my arm, pulling me to him, his grip was relentless.

"What do you think you're doing?" He hissed, the vein on his forehead throbbing, his face reddening.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" I whispered artlessly, "I'm going on a date with a boy I like-"

"You like him?" Damon was officially seething. His grip tightened on my arm and I grimaced. He immediately retracted his arm and took a step back, distancing himself from me.

Grasping at the opportunity, I dashed for the stairs and climbed them two at a time. I could hear my mother and Giuseppe speaking animatedly to one another and knew that they hadn't heard our little encounter.

I sighed in relief when I made it to the confines of my bedroom and turned on my heel to slam the door shut.

He was standing there with a devilish, lopsided grin on his face before I could get there though.

I backed up a step and he mimicked my actions, until the back of my knees hit the edge of my bed.

"Damon," I breathed as my legs went weak underneath me. I plopped down onto the edge of the bed when his body made direct contact with my body in all of the right places.

My lips trembled when he leaned forwards, reaching his hand out to stroke my cheek gently.

"Elena," He said just as breathily. The sound of my name rolling off of his tongue did strange things to my body and I felt my breaths come out in short rasps now, my ribcage caving in on me. "I want you."

"I'm yours." I croaked, "Take what's yours, Damon." I was full of wanton and desire, my lust for him was overpowering and I rubbed my thighs together to create some friction –envisioning his large member. His eyes zeroed in on the movement and he grinned deviously.

The urge to keep my hands from roaming his taut chest was impossible to supress. I peeled his t-shirt from his chest as his fingers slid into my hair, pulling it free from its hairband. With every passing moment, I could feel myself growing increasingly more eager and, with it, adventurous. I slipped my hands into his hair and pressed myself against him, about to press my lips to his when I realised he wasn't into that sort of thing. I pulled him down to lie directly on top of me instead and moulded my body to his perfectly, fiddling with the zipper on his jeans. The feeling of his alert member prodding the inside of my thigh caused an animalistic urge to course through me and I found myself flipping him over so that I was straddling his waist. His hands slipped under my dress -which had ridden up to my waist, revealing my white laced panties- and he ran them over my hips and up my sides, palming my breasts. The feelings he was emitting from me were euphoric. I let him control and manipulate my body into the palms of his hands until I was panting for him.

"Please," I said, retorting to begging –I was becoming desperate for his touch. Without further ado, he threw me onto my back and slipped his hand into the front of my panties, circling my clit before slipping a single finger inside me. I shivered at the rippling pleasure that echoed threw me and arched my back off of the bed, pressing myself more firmly to him.

My entire body quivered with need.

My breath hitched when he dragged his other hand from my kneecap up to the inner part of my thigh, kneading the flesh there, rubbing soothing circles with each sensual caress.

I bit my lip to stifle a groan when he inserted another finger, "Damon," I said –needy. We needed to keep our groans to a minimum otherwise mum and Giuseppe would intervene and all of our sneaking around and lingering glances across the dinner table would have been for nothing.

"I love it when you say my name like that." He breathed against my ear, earning a shiver from me. His lips brushed against my earlobe and I closed my eyes tightly shut. "Open your eyes. I want you to see that I'm the one who's making you feel this way –me, not Stefan or any other runt."

His hand was moving at a rhythmic pace, slowing gaining speed. I bucked my hips, adding to the delirious pace at which he was working my body. Every limb in my body was beginning to tremble and with the way he was touching me and his husky voice whispering in my ear, I could feel the tell-tale signs of my impending release building up in my being. Sensing this, Damon circled this thumb around my clit one last time before I exploded with sunshine's and rainbows and all of that jazz. I bit down on my lip harder to prevent the screams that were threatening to burst out and could feel my walls flexing around his fingers, my muscles tightening. I rode out the waves of pleasure before he withdrew his fingers from me one by one. I was panting like a hooker by the time I felt him remove his weight from me.

Suddenly, I was lying on my back –alone and without breath. I sat up, my fists still gripping the sheets tightly.

"Damon?"

He was standing on the threshold of my bedroom, his hand resting on my bedroom door as he retreated, his shirt in hand. He smirked deviously, "Have fun on your date."

The door closed with a soft click.


	2. Chapter 1

**In Temptations Path:**

**A/N- I forgot to mention in the preface that this fanfic is void of any vampires -ALL CHARACTERS ARE HUMAN. Also, someone mentioned that they'd have preferred it I'd it had started from their first meeting and eventually built up to this point. Just to clarify, THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER WAS A PREFACE -AN INCITE TO THE STORY IF YOU WILL. THIS CHAPTER AND HERE ON FORTH WILL BE MONTHS BEFORE THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER TOOK PLACE AND WE WILL EVENTUALLY WORK OUR WAY TO THAT POINT IN THE STORY. If anyone is confused or just wants to ask a question at any point, please just ask and I will be more than willing to answer any of your questions. With that said, please continue...**

* * *

**Chapter 1:**

I stared longingly at the piled boxes in my new bedroom, twiddling my thumbs absentmindedly as I considered what box my prized journals were wedged in. After dad had died, my mum, Miranda, had encouraged me to convey my thoughts onto paper to ease the pain of my father's demise and I was more than happy to oblige. At first, they hadn't diminished the pain whatsoever, but over time I grew to enjoy the feeling of unleashing my emotions onto something else that wouldn't have to deal with the weight of my words. Dad had died in a car accident nearly two years prior, and I still wasn't over it. It was a complete different story for my mother though.

Don't get me wrong, my mum loved dad -she was distraught when he died. But I'm pretty certain that she's moving on. The man at the door with a bouquet of vibrant red roses encircled in his arms backs up my assumptions. There's a new man escorting her every month, but he's never _the one. _I tut under my breath and backed away from the window, shaking away the thoughts of him becoming my step-father.

_Nobody would ever replace my father,_ I thought bitterly, repulsed by the mere thought of it. Just as this thought flickered through my cluttered head, my mother opened the front door with a bright smile on her face.

I was thankful that Jeremy, my brother, was not present at this moment. He despised seeing handfuls of men taking mum on countless dates every month, and, unfortunately, mum was oblivious to this facet of information. He hid it well behind his mask of indifference, but I could see the pain in his eyes -exactly the same shade of green as our fathers- when he caught them kissing her cheek before tucking her safely into their car. He was a year younger than myself -only sixteen years old- and he was heavily burdened with the death of our father. Since our fathers death, he'd turned to drugs and excessive drinking -he rejected the journal mum presented him with. At times it seemed as if I was the only influence in his life and I took pride in that. He looked up to me and respected me and listened to what I had to say. He'd stopped taking drugs since I'd begged him and he'd lowered the consumption of alcohol over the past few months. The was he acted made it seem like he felt responsible for dads death, but in reality it was my fault and I blamed myself every day for the dreadful nights occurrences on that bridge by our old home, miles away from here.

Muttering under my breath, I trudged back to the window and threw the beige curtains shut, successfully blocking them from my view.

I noticed a box with 'books' scrawled across the side of it and decided that was the best place, if any, to start searching for my beloved journal. I grinned when I noticed its worn corners peeking out from behind my personal copy of Wuthering Heights, and retrieved it. The sight of it rekindled old memories and I wiped some excess dust off of it as I stumbled to my bed, which was laden with scatter cushions in varying hues of beige and grey.

I fell back onto my bed and let out a sigh of relief. Today had been stressful to say the least, what with being in the process of moving houses and all. A fresh start mum had said -a new town to repress old memories. There were complications along the way, of course, what with me being defiant and adamantly not wanting to leave our old home –the only home I'd ever known.

I peeled the cover open and flicked to a clean, new page and began writing how it's ironic that the page symbolised the beginning of my new life in this quaint town of Mystic Falls and how, tomorrow, I'd enrol onto Mystic Falls High School –the bane of my existence.

* * *

I woke with a start –gasping and sweating. It's the same dream as usual –my dad pounding his fists relentlessly onto the unwavering glass of his car window, his mouth opened in a scream, yet no sound escapes him. And I'm just standing idly by, unable to move because I'm wedged in place by some unknown force. Then his car sinks into the dark and murky water until it's out of my view and I'm left hunched over on the pavement. I never do realise what holds me back in that dream, I awaken before I see the person that restrains me every time.

I let my head fall back onto the pillow and tried to regulate my breathing. I'd grown accustomed to this over the years and so I knew the routine I must go through to gain back the control of my emotions.

I laid flat on my back, my hair sprawled out like a halo around my head and I envisioned what tomorrow –or today should I say- will bring me. The thought of meeting new people made my heart beat erratically through my chest and I turned onto my side and tried to forget what today would bring.

My clock read 6:03am when I finally gave up on trying to sleep and I groggily rose from my slumber, a yawn on my lips. I arrived in my own bathroom and groaned at the sight of tendrils of my hair sticking to the beads of sweat on my forehead. Deciding that a wash is much needed, I clambered into the shower and fumbled with the unfamiliar dials to higher the heat, eventually fumbling for my choice of clothing for the day. I decide on a pair of faded jeans, a blue crotchet top and white converse.

My hair lay limp and dry on either side of my face and so I scrounged through the moving boxes for my tongs, intending to curl my hair. I fixed my make-up in place and threw my bag over my shoulder, heading for the door.

"What about breakfast?" Mum called from the kitchen where the sound of sizzling hit my ears and the smell of bacon and eggs invaded my senses. I padded to the kitchen and grabbed a granola bar from a cupboard, holding it up for inspection with a smirk on my face.

"You ready?" I smiled reassuringly to Jeremy, watching him devour his breakfast.

He nodded his head in turn and dumped his empty plate and utensils in the sink. Making his way towards me, he froze with one foot in the air. As if a last minute errand, he leaned over the countertop and placed a gentle kiss on mums cheek before continuing his path towards the front door.

"Okay, well, good luck, kids. Have fun." Mum called out as we both made our way to my car.

I grimaced at the word _fun _and escaped before she could interrogate me any further, twirling my keys around my finger.

"Ready?" I asked Jeremy, turning the keys in the ignition.

"Ready."

As soon as we arrived at the school parking lot, my gaze fell to the group of typical boys laughing animatedly at something one of them had said.

I rolled my eyes theatrically and parked a couple of cars down from them, evading them. Jeremy and I parted ways with an awkward farewell and I sluggishly trekked towards the school entrance. Of course, my plan didn't work as well as I'd hoped. I heard the snickers and jeering as I walked by them, saw them elbowing one another with lopsided grins on their faces, directing their fingers at me.

"Hey, sugar," One of them called out to me.

I froze mid-step and ducked my head, continuing on down the path leading to the entrance. _Self-righteous bastards, _I thought dejectedly.

As I rounded the corridor, I felt something hard bump into me and went stumbling backwards, falling directly onto my backside. I felt my cheeks burn a bright crimson and ducked my head, letting my hair fall over my face as I returned to my feet.

"Sorry," I muttered, walking past the person I'd unintentionally collided with. I felt a strong hand snake around my arm and pull me back towards them. I gasped and stumbled a little until I was standing directly in front of them.

"Name?" The boy with shaggy black hair and piercing blue eyes questioned, staring at his cuticles intently, like they held the answer to life.

"Excuse me?" I said, dumbstruck by his audacity to speak to me in that tone of voice.

"I said, what is your name?" He repeated himself, saying each syllable independently as if I was some freak of nature that didn't grasp something simple. He averted his eyes to me, letting his hand fall limply to his side. His expression was tense and stern, calculating and mischievous.

"I don't know who you think you are, but barging into someone and then demanding to know their name is disrespectful, and I don't appreciate the gesture…" I trailed off, folding my arms defiantly across my chest. His eyes zeroed in on the movement and he licked his lips.

He chuckled quietly and mimicked my action, folding his arms across his chest, "What, do you expect an apology?" I raised my eyebrows and waited for his sincerest apology that I knew deep down would never come, and I was right in my speculations.

"Damon, let's go!" A masculine voice boomed from down the hallway. Damon –as I'd just learned- turned and nodded his head in assent of his friend's words before turning back to me with a lopsided grin in full effect.

He leaned forward, his lips dangerously close to my ear, his breath warm on my neck, and whispered hoarsely, "Well, you'll be waiting for a long time, Miss…?"

Regaining my composure and closing my mouth, I smirked and leaned just as close to his ear, "You'll be waiting for a long time before you discover my name, _Damon._"

Judging by the priceless expression on his face, he'd never been spoken to or rejected in such a manner. I grinned one last time for affect and turned on my heels, leaving him stunned into silence in my wake.

As I clambered in my new locker for my newly purchased textbooks, I felt a presence beside me and rolled my eyes, turning towards who I suspected was Damon. After all, he was the only person I'd had the pleasure to make the acquaintance of. Insert eye roll. "What do you want, Da-?" I grumbled, slamming my locker shut so I could see him. I was cut off when I realised that it wasn't Damon, but a girl with flouncing blonde hair and piercing blue eyes –not as astonishingly blue as Damon's, of course.

"Caroline," She smiled, extending her hand to me. I stared at her hand accusingly and didn't make a move to shake it. Awkwardly, she retracted her hand and hung it limply at her side.

"Elena," I said grimly, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

_What does she want?_

"So, I saw you talking to Damon…"

_Of course._

"What's it to you?" I sneered, adjusting the strap of my backpack to accommodate my textbooks.

"Nothing, I was just curious. He looked livid." She observed, flickering her gaze to me as we walked side by side to our respective classes. "Do you guys know each other from somewhere? Are you one of his girls or something?"

_Girls? Was he some sort of pimp or something?_

"Excuse me?" I spat, shocked past the point of recognition. "I've never met Damon a day in my life and I am certainly not one of his _girls_."

"Oh, I-I'm sorry." She gulped, blushing profusely. "It's just; things looked kinda intense between the two of you."

"Well, there's nothing going on between us. I've only just met the guy, okay?" I snapped, shaking my head at the absurdity of the situation.

"Yeah, I completely understand. Sorry for being so…"

"Bitchy? It's fine." I smiled at her reassuringly and she smiled dimply in return.

Her grin spread and a small laugh escaped her, "I was going to say accusing, but bitchy is fine. What class do you have first?"

"Umm, chemistry. You?"

"Chemistry." She squealed excitedly, "Maybe we can be lab partners."

"Maybe." I smiled. Her laughter was infectious.

The first thing I noticed as I passed the threshold of the Chemistry classroom was the dishevelled midnight hair of Damon. He was twisted in his seat so I could not see his face, but I knew without a shadow of a doubt that it was him. The contours of his back was defined and rippled under his tight-fitted black tee, and I could only imagine what it would feel like to run my hands over them, to feel him quiver under my touch. I could feel the pooling in my panties and instantly shook my head to dispel my train of thought.

"Ah, Miss Gilbert." The teacher whose identifier read Mr Saltzman said in greeting. He gestured for me to come to his desk with a small flick of his wrist. I looked to Damon one last time as I ambled towards his desk and noticed that he was staring at me with a lopsided grin in place.

_Way to blow up the cover, Mr Saltzman. _

"Settle down," He addressed the class before attending to me, "Now, what are we going to do with you?" He thought aloud, tapping his pen to his lip calculatingly.

"There's a spare seat here, sir." I froze at the sound of his voice, my eyes dilating in shock. "Miss Gilbert is more than welcome to claim it."

I could hear Caroline protesting from the other side of the classroom where she sat with a girl with tan skin and silky black hair that complimented her complexion.

"Perfect," Mr Saltzman grinned, pleased with his accomplishment.

Still in a daze, I stumbled my way to the back of the classroom where Damon was seated at a lab desk. I flung my bag under the desk and sat beside him silently.

Mr Saltzman droned on about what subjects we'd be covering this term and made us take notes on each one. Time seemed to drag sitting next to Damon and I was more than eager for the tardy bell to signal the end of the lesson. I was beginning to regret choosing Chemistry as an option.

"I always get what I want, Miss Gilbert." Damon whispered dangerously close to my ear about halfway through the lesson. The pen in my hand faltered and I squeezed it until I thought the pressure I was exerting on it would make it explode. "You'll do well to remember that."


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

I slowed my jog into a brisk walk and admired the setting sun as it lowered down the horizon. The light played across the river idyllically, casting a cool breeze over the water and causing a ripple affect in the small current. The smell of muggy trees assaulted my senses, and I closed my eyes, revelling in feeling that washed over me. This was my favourite time of day -whether it was because of the looming sleep that awaited me or because of its striking mixture of vibrant colours, it didn't matter.

I readjusted my headphone strap that held my phone to my forearm and tightened my hair in the confines of it's hairband until it hurt. I was sporting a white sports bra, that revealed my toned stomach and accentuated my breasts, and black three-quarter length black spandex sport shorts that showed off my tan calfs.

With a sigh, I continued my routine-like trek through Mystic Falls until I stumbled upon a lively area with people bustling about.

I came to a complete halt when a dull cream building with dark wooden beams came into view. The cosy restaurants sign read_ 'Mystic Grill' _and besides that was a poster haphazardly stuck to one of the windows that read_ 'staff needed'_ in a scruffy scrawl.

The detail in the brickwork was picturesque and breathtaking. I was staggered by its beauty for a moment, and as I padded towards it, I noticed something -or someone- that caught my eye.

Caroline was leaning over an outdoor table with a dishcloth in hand, scrubbing at the tables as tendrils of her hair flew around her face in the fierce wind, "Elena!" She called out to me, waving the ragged cloth in my direction once she identified me.

I smiled easily at her and made my way towards her.

"Hey, Caroline."

"What brings you here?" She questioned, her eyes roaming over and taking in my attire.

Caroline reminded me of some sort of crazy detective or something. Given I'd only known her but a day, she'd been monitoring everything I did as if she was expecting something from me. She was persistent, but erratically caring and, for now, she was in my metaphorical good book.

"Well, I was just going for my ritual jog," I explained, glossing down my hair which I suspected was a messy disarray, "and I noticed the sign in the window." I gestured lazily to the sign behind her with a fling of my arm and she followed my gaze to the luminous green poster.

"Oh," She mumbled when she realised what I was babbling on about, "you're looking for a job?"

Was I? I hadn't set out on applying for a job after only moving here so recently, but as I thought about it, the idea progressively grew on me. It would give me a chance to interact with Caroline and meet some new people, and it would get me out of the oppressing gloominess that hung over the house since mum was out either working in the hospital or dating, and Jeremy was locked away in his bedroom with his headphones glued to his ears. He'd evolved into such a little punk over the years...

"Not intentionally, no, but I figured about thirty seconds ago that it wouldn't hurt to apply." I shrugged indifferently.

"I'll make sure to put in a good word for you." She winked proudly at me, smug with herself.

I nodded with a small smile on my lips and excused myself before manoeuvring my way past her towards the intricately carved entrance.

Upon passing the threshold of Mystic Grill, the distinct smells of different assortments of food invaded my senses and I very nearly inhaled the orgasmic fragrance with my eyes closed.

The keyword in that sentence being 'nearly'.

Gathering my scattered thoughts together, I advanced towards the young man behind the bar serving a customer. Every so often he'd cast a dumbstruck glance in my direction as if he didn't have a clue what I was doing here. Frankly, neither did I. I waited patiently for him to complete his order before approaching him cautiously.

"Can I help you with something?" He asked politely, turning the charm on. I recognised his blonde locks, blue irises and baby face from one of my classes, but I couldn't put a name to the face.

"Umm, yes," I muttered awkwardly before clearing my throat, "I couldn't help but notice the sign in the window out front. Do you still need new employees?"

An infectious grin now enveloped his face and he nodded his head vigorously, "We're desperate. Did you want to apply for the job?"

"Sure," I nodded my head and wiped some perspiration off of my forehead. I could feel beads of sweat slowly trickling down my neck but I ignored the urge to swipe them off and just smiled numbly as he held up one finger to indicate that he'd return within the minute. He disappeared behind the 'employees only' sign and returned shortly after with a lanky man in tow.

The man in reference was tall with a slender build and perfectly styled brown hair. He roughly looked in his mid-thirties at earliest and early-forties at latest. He was an attractive man to say the least, but only to someone around my mothers age. Just by looking at his pristine, unwrinkled suit, you could acknowledge that he was a well groomed man of high importance.

I gulped at the sight of him, but stepped forward with my hand outstretched despite this , a placid smile plastered to my face. "Elena Gilbert." I identified myself, shaking his hand firmly.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Gilbert. I'm formally known as Mr Salvatore, but you may call me Giuseppe if you wish. Mr Donovan, here," He gestured to Mr Donovan politely before continuing, "has informed me that you'd like to apply for a place here at Mystic Grill?"

"Well, Mr Donovan is correct."

I spotted Caroline over Giuseppe's shoulder, scrubbing at one of the unoccupied tables. She was staring at me intently as she cleaned, and, upon realising that I had caught her, she grinned widely at me and put two thumbs up on either side of her face reassuringly. I chuckled softly to myself and shook my head as if to clear it, my grin dispersing when I noticed Giuseppe had one eyebrow raised in question at my unexplained actions. Smiling timidly up at him, I cleared my throat.

"Very well." His eyes roamed over me from head to toe as he took in my choice of clothing. There was nothing in his gaze to show me that he approved, which I highly doubted. I was a sweaty mess. He observed me like a petulant child for a moment, searching for something that he must have found. He heaved a sigh and shook his wristwatch free from beneath his suit jacket, eyeing it carefully for a moment. "Follow me." He turned on his heel and began to retreat into the back of Mystic Grill. I knew that he wanted me to follow him, but I was not prepared for an interview on the spot.

"Excuse me, sir, but I'm not dressed in the proper attire for an interview. I thought maybe we could schedule for a later date." I trailed off, fidgeting with my fingers nervously.

He studied me for a moment, his lips pursed tightly. "Unfortunately, Miss Gilbert, I am unavailable for the remainder of this week and partially next week -I have a lot of business to attend to- but you are more than welcome to come by any day of the week for an interview with my son. I understand if you'd prefer to wait since he can be a little... Intimidating. We could always schedule for a later date."

"No, that's fine. I'm sure I can handle your son, Mr Salvatore." I smiled, running a hand through my hair, "How about Thursday after school?" That would give me a few days to settle in and get a suitable outfit in order.

"Perfect. He'll see you in three days. Good luck, Miss Gilbert."

I smiled thankfully at Giuseppe and shook his hand a final time before making my way towards Caroline.

"How'd it go?" She asked hopefully. She had now referred to mopping and was leaning against the mop, her chin resting lightly on the tip.

"I've scheduled an interview for Thursday."

She squealed exuberantly at my words and tipped her head back in laughter. Whilst she animatedly babbled on about the pros and cons of working at Mystic Grill and the timing and blah-blah-blah, I took my time in inspecting my surroundings.

It was luxuriously decorated and perfectly polished, which I applauded to Caroline. The colour theme consisted of pastel colours -homey browns and caramel creams. The decor was mostly dark wooden booths, stools and table sets, with crystal chandeliers dangling from the beamed ceiling. Around the bar were tiny blue spotlights embedded throughout the surface with thick plastic tree branches stretching across the bar wall. Mr Salvatore had exquisite taste it seemed.

I was wrenched from my thoughts at the sound of excessive giggling and boisterous banter from the other side of the restaurant. I turned on the spot and rather nosily observed the squad of teenagers playfully punching each others arms and whispering obscenities in each other's ears. I rolled my eyes at the cliché of it all.

Damon was sitting among the squad in his jockey uniform with his arm draped over a brunettes shoulder who was sporting a crimson cheerleading uniform.

_Obviously he was a member of the popular society, _I thought drearily.

Despite this, I drank in his attire with greedy eyes. His crimson football jersey was taught to his chest and his matching white skintight Lycra shorts were hugging his thighs snugly to show off his tense thighs and calfs. I could see every curve and bend.

_Damn._

Seemingly out of nowhere, Giuseppe leaned over the back of the booth Damon and his friends occupied and whispered something in Damon's ear, gesturing towards _me_. I froze as Giuseppe walked away.

_What the fuck?!_

When Damon caught me gaping at him like a fish, he winked suggestively at me and wiggled his fingers over the cheerleaders shoulder in greeting. The girl besides him -Tessa?- strained her neck to glare at me from under his arm and placed her hand on his chest, whispering something in his ear -staking her claim on him.

_Sweetheart, you can have him, _I thought bitterly.

With a caustic smirk plastered to my face, I waved my hand once in mock salute and scathingly cast a glare at him. He chuckled at my reaction and, strangely, didn't tear his gaze from my figure as I turned to face Caroline again.

She'd just finished her little speech and was smiling sweetly up at me.

"I'm guessing this is the regular hangout for our school?" It sounded more like a question than a statement to my ears.

She rolled on the balls of her feet until her short stature was closer to my towering height. _(Well, towering compared to her and most girls my age)._ "Yup." She said, popping the 'p', "Can I ask you something?"I nodded my head, bewildered. "Why is Damon staring at you?"

"He is?" I whispered, as if he could hear me from afar. I cast a curious and dubious glance over my shoulder and blushed when I recognised Damon -with his chiselled jaw and vibrant blue eyes- staring at me in the same stance as before. He hadn't moved an inch...

His penetrating gaze did wonders to my body and I shivered due to his open ogling of my frame, which only succeeded in widening his obnoxious smirk.

I rolled my eyes and folded my arms across my chest self-consciously. Facing Caroline, I sighed and shook my head, "I don't know."

She raised her eyebrow at my retort, obviously suspecting that I wasn't speaking the truth. "What?" I jeered defiantly, "I'm telling the truth."

She stared intently at me for a moment, until her gaze softened and she nodded her head in affirmation.

"Look," I sighed after a moment, flickering my gaze down to my wristwatch, "I better get going. I'm late and I need to finish up on my evening jog before Jeremy calls -famished."

She frowned slightly at my comment, but nodded her head. "See you tomorrow?"

I nodded my head, "See you at lunch."

A grin now enveloped her face and she nodded her head hastily, pleased with my words.

As I absconded the small slope leading to the exit, I caught sight of Damon still gawking at me in my peripheral vision and ducked my head as I passed the threshold.

I silently prayed that this wasn't the regular hangout for Damon. It would be the death of me if it turned out otherwise -if I got the job, of course.

* * *

**A/N- Your opinion is greatly appreciated, so thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed or favourited ****_In Temptations Path, _****it really means a lot to me and urges me to continue writing for you guys. Although I have a general gist as to where I want this to go, if anyone has any ideas that they'd like to share and see in this fanfic, feel free to do so and I'll gladly consider the possibility.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: **

Leisurely, I placed my textbooks in my locker, arranging them neatly to waste a couple of minutes. I had gym next and, although I sort of enjoyed the compulsory class, I would much prefer to dawdle for a few measly minutes to ensure that the changing rooms were empty upon arriving to them. I didn't want some strangers staring at my too-skinny frame as I changed.

"OCD-ish much?" I jumped slightly at the protruding sound and knocked my little pile of textbooks slightly. Great, they were astray now...

_Wow, maybe I am a little OCD-ish... _I thought to myself dubiously.

Swiftly, I fixed the fallen books and turned on my heel with a sickly sweet smile on my lips, "Can I help you with something, Damon?" I couldn't subdue the venom in my voice when I sneered his name spitefully. I slammed my locker door shut for effect and turned on my heel, bounding down the corridor with my bag hugged to my chest and Damon in tow.

He raised his eyebrows at my retort and smirked lopsidedly at me, "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." He observed. When I shot him a reproachful glare he raised his hands in surrender and chuckled softly. My insides quivered and jolted at the sound. He cleared his throat, "Actually, there _is_ something you can help me with."

"And what might that be?" I sighed and veered to the right at the end of the corridor. It took him off guard and he jogged a couple of steps to keep up with me, obviously put off with my evasiveness, my snarky attitude and my mood.

Truthfully, I was in a particular bad mood due to lack of sleep; today was only the second day of school, a terrible Tuesday, and I'd spent the most part of the night unpacking boxes after attending to Jeremy's hunger and my own. Mum was working late last night and so she ate at the hospital. Due to this, I was overly exhausted and looked a _complete_ mess.

My straggly hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, still maintaining yesterday's curls, and my outfit was mismatched; a pair of faded jeans with torn knees from where I'd fallen over years back and a red sweater that was much too small for me. My cleavage was straining against the taunt material, begging to be released.

"I was sort of hoping that you'd bring that cute little ass of yours to a party tonight -a pool party. _My_ pool party." He winked at me and flashed me his infamous lopsided grin.

"What's the occasion?"

"There isn't one."

"Well, my _cute little ass _won't be attending this party of yours." I retorted, quickening my pace.

"And why would that be?" His brows were furrowed in blatant confusion now. Obviously, he'd never been rejected before.

"For one, I have a job interview for Thursday that I need to prepare for and, for two, I don't want to go to a ridiculous pool party, much less yours." I smirked at my ingenious response, smug with my comeback.

"Ouch," he hissed, placing his hand over his heart theatrically, "that hurt."

"Good." I said indignantly.

After a moment of silence, Damon spoke up, "Is this the same interview you applied for yesterday at Mystic Grill?"

I froze mid-step, a chagrined expression plastered to my astonished face.

_What the ever loving fuck?! _

"How do you know about that?" I whispered impishly.

_Not so tough now, are you?_ I snickered inwardly. His sidelong glance affixed with a mischievous grin proved that he was on the same train of thought as myself.

I felt the cool of his breath brush the curve of my neck and felt him inhale there. Frozen, I couldn't move. His nose trailed down to the nape of my neck to my ear, his lips brushing the rim of it. "Because," He breathed seductively, "I'll be the one administrating the interview."

Then he was gone, strolling down the deserted corridor casually as if he had not just emitted these pressing feelings from within me. The fact that his breath emitted these feelings was the thing that bothered me the most. I mean, he's breathing carbon dioxide onto my skin and I'm feeling wanton with lust?!

So, Damon was the son of Giuseppe?

_Fuck!_

I made it to gym within the nick of time, the girls only just having started playing volleyball. Coach didn't even notice me quickly slide into the gymnasium behind the crowd of fawning girls, he was too occupied demonstrating tactics with another student to take any notice.

Throughout the entire lesson, my mind continued to wander to thoughts of Damon.

How could Damon be the son of Giuseppe when they were so obviously opposites? After awhile, everything began to click into place; images of Giuseppe leaning over the booth to whisper inconspicuously into Damon's ear invaded my mind. Was it true? Damon... Salvatore? Or was he trying to get one over me to make me feel agitated? After all, the bartender, whom Giuseppe had referred to as Mr Donovan, or whomever else who had overheard about my interview, could have informed Damon and he was just trying to get back at me for my sour attitude to him. Also, Giuseppe could have been telling him and his friends to clear out when he'd spoken to Damon in the booth... But Damon wouldn't take it to these extremes would he?

One thing was certain, I was highly conflicted by the mystery of Damon... _Salvatore_.

* * *

Caroline took a swig of her mothers supply of liquor and handed me the bottle, I took a healthy chug and then another, passing the bottle back to her. Caroline brandished an old midnight blue bikini in my face and continued to babble on about this stupid pool party that she was forcing me to attend.

"You _have_ to go!" She exclaimed, dangling the offensive item of clothing from her pinky finger. With the other hand, she took a long slurp from the bottle, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Must I?" I pouted miserably. It was inevitable that I would end up attending but I couldn't help but try to dissuade her. Caroline had been bustling on about this goddamn party since lunch and she was set on going. One thing I'd learned about Caroline was that she was adamant.

"Damon's going to be there..." She smiled excitedly at me and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively as if that would entice me into going. She handed me the bottle.

I heaved a huff of a laugh, "And that right there is one reason I don't want to go."

After taking yet another swig, she handed the bottle to me and pressed on, "So, what are the other reasons behind you not wanting to go?" I noticed the way she said '_not wanting' _compared to _'not going' _and heaved a sigh.

"I've told you, I've got the interview with him on Thursday and I need to prepare for it." I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand, troubled. I still couldn't get my head around that facet of information.

"What, so you've got to put together an outfit? You don't need two days to coordinate an outfit, Elena! FYI, he's going to hire you." She stated matter of factly.

"And why would that be?"

"You're pretty." She shrugged.

"And that constitutes to getting the job?" I raised my eyebrows questioningly, put off the job by her petty and vulgar words. I placed the bottle of liquor on my bedside cabinet.

"_No,_" she groaned, putting emphasis on the word, "it's just that Damon likes pretty girls to look at whilst he works."

It took me a moment to process what she was putting across. Damon worked there?!

"He _works_ there?!" I voiced my thoughts.

"Of course he does, he's Giuseppe's _son_ -the owner. You met him yesterday?" She explained, tilting her head to the side slightly.

I gestured for her to continue with a swipe of my hand as I drank in the information she was feeding me. After she leant across my bed to retrieve the bottle of liquor she'd stolen from her mothers liquor cabinet before she'd come barging into my home, she continued, "Well, him and his wife -Damon's mother- split a few years back and Damon spends his time with both parents," _Swig_, "but since Giuseppe works a lot, Damon decided to work there to be close to his father, although Giuseppe's usually cooped up in his office all day long." _Swig_, "It's rather pointless, to be honest, he doesn't get paid for it. Mind you, he doesn't need it. They're sort of a wealthy family and well known around town. Hence why we are most definitely attending tonight." She wiggled the bottle in my face as I stared at her indifferently, expressionless. She glared at me playfully until I swiped the bottle from her hands, rolling my eyes in the process.

With that said, she launched the bikini at my face and skipped to the bathroom to change into her green one.

At least I'd put together a few pieces of the puzzle that was Damon Salvatore...

* * *

I self-consciously slung my arms across my chest, covering my bikini clad breasts that were threatening to spill out of the tiny item of clothing.

Caroline rolled her eyes accusingly at my posture and tinged cheeks, "You look perfect, Elena, I really don't understand you..." She trailed off, side-eyeing me questioningly.

With a '_Humph_,' I slipped through the front door of the Salvatore house with my favourite white dress on. Caroline wore a brown sarong that hung haphazardly low on her hips, making a patch of green bikini bottoms visible to any preying eyes.

Caroline said I looked sexy. In my eyes, I looked like a fucktard bimbo in this stupid bikini getup. I vowed not to take my dress off.

_At all._

The sound of music echoing from the backyard grasped Caroline's attention. She squealed exuberantly at me and grabbed my hand, leading me through the hallway and the bustling kitchen to the garden area.

The grass was an exquisite shade of deep green, the flower beds various hues of blue, red, purple and white. The whole garden area was immaculate, prim and proper, except for the bikini clad hips swinging seductively around the marvellous swimming pool, sloppily dropping empty red cups along the floor which was scattered with droplets of water dripping from wet bodies. A jacuzzi was off to the side with a row of bushes shielding it from view, ensuring that it was privately hidden from anybody else in the garden. My mind drifted to Mystic Grill. It seemed that the Salvatore's had tasteful design, referring to both interior and exterior decor.

I jumped slightly and released a squeak when someone tapped my shoulder lightly, I could faintly hear them calling my name over the blaring music. It felt like the music was being injected into my brain, seeping into every thought and overriding them.

Mr Donovan stood innocently behind me with a small smile adorning his slight lips. He extended his hand to me in greeting, his baby blue eyes bright, "We didn't really have a chance to introduce ourselves yesterday," He began, "I'm Matt."

"I'm Elena." I smiled, shaking his sturdy, extended hand.

"I know." When he smiled, dimples appeared on either of his chunky cheeks and I couldn't help but grin back. I recalled him shouting my name just a couple of seconds ago and blushed at my thoughtlessness.

"Would you like something to drink?" He questioned.

"Yes please!" Caroline interjected over the music. I immediately felt guilty for forgetting that she was there and blushed profusely, mouthing a '_sorry_' to her. She tilted her head to the side with a reproachful look in her eyes but nodded her head forgivingly at my pleading expression.

"Thank you, Matt." I smiled apologetically.

Matt awkwardly nodded his head in assent of my words and ambled through the throng of swaying bodies.

"We used to date." Caroline explained in my ear when Matt was out of hearing distance. That explained the tension...

"What happened?" I asked nosily. She shrugged and averted her eyes in return.

_Right, touchy subject..._

Matt returned with three red cups full of some unknown substance a while later. He looked past Caroline's shoulder as he handed her a cup, but just as he slipped the cup into my hand -his fingers lingering their a little longer than necessary- Tessa_ 'fell' _into Matt and knocked him, effectively making him spill my drink down the front of my dress. The liquid seeped through the thin material and soaked my chest.

"Fuck!" I exclaimed, pinching the front of the dress to prevent it from sticking to my chest.

Tessa giggled at my dumbfounded expression and placed her hand to her mouth, "Oops."

Speaking of fucktard bimbos...

She was clinging off of Damon's arm and giggling profusely. It suddenly dawned on me why she would act such a way. She was jealous that I got to sit next to Damon in chemistry, I recalled her snarling face yesterday from the desk a handful of rows in front of him...

_Assigned seats are a bitch,_ I though menacingly.

I released the dress from between my fingers as Matt apologised repeatedly, but I drowned out his voice -Damon was grinning at me from ear to ear, proud of his girl.

Slowly, I grabbed the hem of my dress, fiddling with the edges for a second, debating. He undressed me with his eyes as his grin disappeared. As he licked his lips, I tugged on the hem of my dress torturously slow and pulled it over my head.

And here I vowed I'd never take it off... Pfft...

His eyes widened, as well as Matts, as his eyes roamed over my attire and drank me in. Tessa's face fell. She was livid.

Tessa had her arms flung around Damon's neck possessively, her nails sunk into his skin and he flinched in pain, distancing himself from her. She glared at me venomously and stalked off dramatically, her feet slapping harshly against the pavement.

_Such a drama queen..._

I chugged down the half-full cup of remaining alcohol and threw the cup aside, my eyes trained on Damon.

"Wanna dance?" Caroline grinned like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland and my gaze flickered to hers, her expression devious and pleased with my performance. I nodded my head eagerly and padded barefoot towards the area were people were moving rhythmically to the music.

Smiling, I grabbed her hand and spun her around as she ground her ass into the air. Deviously, I smacked it playfully and she squeaked, giggling.

By now, all of the attention was affixed on us. Boys were chortling and cheering us on around us, but Damon...

Damon was sitting in a plastic chair, glaring at me as he chugged down his beer. His thick brows were in a constant sneer and his eyes bore into me. I felt someone grinding on me from behind and grimaced, pushing them off. I didn't want some strangers junk up in my funk!

Within seconds, Damon was striding towards me with a stoney glare plastered to his face. I gulped at the sight of him and cowered back as he pushed the boy aside. He tore off his black tee and threw it in my face.

"Put it on," He near growled, when I didn't make a move to obey, he rubbed a hand down his face; stressed, "_now_."

I did as I was told, the t-shirt much too big for me. It sagged off of my small frame.

Shocked into silence, I stared as he strutted indoors with his bare chest and back etched into my mind.

_Holy Jesus... _

Without my assent, I found my feet padding towards his retreating figure, my face as blank as a canvas.

Once we reached the empty kitchen, him oblivious to my stalking him, I stood awkwardly by the centre island behind him. I leaned on it for support and cleared my throat to grab his attention.

"Fuck!" He exclaimed, shocked at my presence. I scratched the back of my neck nervously. "What do you want, Gilbert?" He sighed once he'd regained his at ease composure.

"Sorry," I mumbled helplessly, "I just wanted to grab a bottle of water." He nodded his head and reached into the fridge, retrieving a bottle before throwing it at me. I barely caught it. "And to say that I'm sorry." I continued awkwardly.

He sighed, his back to me, "What for?"

"I...Umm..." I muttered. Why did I want to apologise again?

A heavy silence hung over us as I fumbled over my words, his back still to me.

"Why don't you just leave?" He pleaded without warning.

"I-I thought you wanted me to bring my cute ass here?" I blushed at my feeble excuse. I _really_ shouldn't have let Caroline drag my drunk ass here...

He chuckled at my response and shook his head. "You'll be the death of me, Gilbert."

* * *

**A/N- So, Damon's already affected by Elena. What'd you think? I'm so sorry for the long wait but I've been on holiday this whole time in my defence, and I only got back home yesterday. Hopefully, this rather long chapter makes up for it and since there was no damon/elena interactions last chapter, I decided to make it up to you lovely lot this chapter. Next chapter, I _think_ it will be the interview. Reviews are highly appreciated and encourage me to write faster! **


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